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Let’s talk about Poké

How Hawaiian raw fish has taken over the street-food scene

June 12, 2017 | Scarlett Russell

For Celia Farrar and Guy Jackson, both 31 from east London, a mutual love of a Hawaiian raw fish bowl dish spawned brand new careers (starting Eat Poké) and last year’s biggest food trend in the capital.

For those yet to tune into this phenomenon, poké (pronounced p-okay) means to cut, and the bowl food is essentially raw fish with, well, whatever you like.

It was in 2013 when Celia first discovered it. ‘I was in LA and one morning my friend drove us to Venice Beach promising me the best hangover cure,’ she says. ‘It was poké and the little restaurant was one of the only ones serving it at that time. I was hooked.’

Guy’s first experience was in Hawaii: ‘A local man gave me a deli pot filled with poké. We sat on the curb eating the freshest tuna ever.’

PASSION FOR POKÉ

Friends since university, Celia, who worked in fashion design, and Guy, a graphic designer, started talking more passionately about poké.

‘Neither of us had food industry experience,’ says Celia. ‘But we found a great fish supplier and learned how to fillet by watching YouTube.’ A street-food stall, Eat Poké, followed in April 2015 in Brick Lane Upmarket, and it wasn’t long before it was noticed by street-food specialists Kerb London. ‘That’s when we left our jobs,’ says Celia. ‘There were no other poké places in London, but it started to catch on.’

Offers flooded in for private events, followed by a pop-up in Selfridges, a stint on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and a book – Poké: Hawaiian Inspired Sushi Bowls. In this beautifully designed recipe book, you’ll find the ideal dishes for summer dining. Healthy and colourful, poké will introduce you to island life at home.

SPICY TOBIKO SALMON (see main picture)

The bright orange tobiko adds a delicately smoky flavour and an interesting, crunchy texture. Piled onto the salmon, it also lends an impressive volcanic appearance to this fiery dish.

1. Cook the rice as per the cooking instructions on the packet and leave to cool.

2. Use a julienne peeler to create long, thin strips from the carrots and cucumbers and transfer to a bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing and pour over the salad.

3. Gently fold the salmon poké into the marinade ingredients and thoroughly coat. To assemble, start with a base of brown rice, add the salad and then pile the fish on top. Garnish with green chillies and furikake.

4. Try pimping by adding extra tobiko and pickled cucumbers.

Poké bowls are extremely flexible – they can be adapted to suit any taste and dietary need.
If catering for veggies, sub out the fish for chopped tempeh, tofu or even cubes of avocado and sweet potato. A more easy-going version of sushi, bowls can be pimped with crunchy pickles and mouth- watering marinades.

SPICY TEMPEH POKÉ WITH BEETROOT + QUINOA SALAD

This vegan poké is such a colourful and vibrant dish, full of fresh vegetables, subtle spices
and packed with protein

2. For the poké, toss together the tempeh, spices and lemon zest. Arrange the coated tempeh on a lightly oiled baking tray and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. To make the salad, rinse the quinoa in cold water. Transfer to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The grains will swell, but should still have a little bite. Once cooked, drain well and place in a bowl to cool. Add the remaining salad ingredients to the quinoa.

4. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss gently to combine.

5. To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and scatter the roasted tempeh over the top.

VEGAN DELIGHT

Tempeh is the Indonesian cousin of tofu, created from a fermentation process. Available in health food shops.

MANGO + PAPAYA POKÉ WITH COCONUT RICE

A sweeter take on a traditional poké rice bowl, with nutty brown coconut rice and refreshing cubes of fruit tossed in lime juice. It’s worth adding a crunchy element for texture, such as toasted coconut flakes or sesame seeds.